Fertilizer-distributer and seed-planter



(No Model.) I 3'Sheets-'-Sheet 1., I

D.'MORGAN. FERTILIZER DISTRI'BUTER ANi) SEED PLANTER. No. 35 ,259. Patented'Jan. 18,- 1887..

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N PEYERS. Photo-Lithographer. wamln mn, D. C.

(.No Model.) 3Sheets-Sheet 2.. D. MORGAN.

FERTILIZER'DISTRIBUTER AND SEED TPLANTER.

Patented Jan; 18, 1887,

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 D. MORGAN.

FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTER AND SEED PLANTER. N0. 356,259.

Patented Jan. 18, 1887.

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS WITNESSES: 10?

N PETERS. Phulo-Lilhunraphcn Washington. D C.

STATES PATENT rrrcn.

DECATUR MORGAN, OF CAMDEN COURT-HOUSE, NORTH CAROLINA.

SPECIPICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 356,259, dated January 18, 1887.

Application filed September 21, 1885. Serial No. 177,699. (No model.)

\ which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is aside elevation of one of my improved machines. Fig. 2 is a sectional front elevation of the same, taken through the broken linea: x w 00, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same, parts being broken away. Fig. 4

i is a sectional front elevation of the feed-mill.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a part of the feed- Inill, Showing the stationary grinding-surface. Fig. 6 is a face view of the conical grindingwheel of the feed-mill. Fig. 7 is a sectional side elevation of the machine arranged as a seed-planter. Fig. Sis a sectional front elevation of the seed-droppin g mechanism; and Fig. 9 is a sectional side elevation of the same, part of the seed-dropping cylinder being broken away.

The object of this invention is to provide fertilizer-distributers and seed-planters constructed in such a manner that they can be readily regulated and controlled, and can be easily adjusted for either use.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of various parts of the ma chine, as will be hereinafter fully described and then claimed.

A represents the wheels, which are rigidly I attached to the outer ends of theseparateaxles B. The axles B revolve in bearings attached to the longitudinal bars of the lower frame, 0, are placed in line with each other, and are made of such a length as to leave space between theirinner ends to receive the feed mechanism.

To the side bars of the lower frame, 0, are attached the lower ends of short standards D, to the upper ends of which are attached the side bars of the upper frame, E. The side bars of the upper frame, F, are designed to be extended forward to serve as shafts for drawing and guiding the machine.

To the inner end of one of the axles Bis attacheda large gear-wheel, F, into the teeth of which mesh theteeth ofthe small gear-wheel G. The journals of the gear-wheel G revolve in bearings in a frame, H, which rests and slides on the lower frame, 0, so that the gear-wheels can be thrown into and out of gear by moving the said frame H.

To theinner journal of the gear-wheel G is attached agear-wheel, I, having the same number of teeth as the gear-wheel F, and the teeth of which mesh into the teeth of the small gear wheel J ,.having the same number of teeth as the gear-wheel G and attached to the end of the shaft K. The gearwvheelsF I are designed to have three times as many teeth as the gear- Wheels G J, so that the shaft K will make nine revolutions while the drive-wheel A makes one.

The shaft K revolves in bearings in the parts L M of the feed-mill shell, and to it, within the said shell,-is secured by a set-screw, N, or othersuitable means the grinding-wheel O of the said mill.

The parts L M of the shell are made with lugs or flanges upon their edges to receive the bolts that fasten them together, and the inner side of the part M of the said shell is recessed to receive the base of the grindingwheel 0, as shown in Fig. 4. The face of the grinding-wheel O is made conical, and has a coarse dress formed upon it, as indicated in Figs. 4: and 6.

- The part L of the shell is made in the form of a hollow cone, and has a coarse dress formed in its inner surface to correspond with the dress of the wheel 0. The wheel 0 is adjusted to bring its face to any desired closeness to the face of the part L by a setscrew, P, passing in through a screw-hole in the hub of the part M, and resting against the end of the hub of the said wheel 0, or against a I washer placed against the said end.

In the adjacent surfaces of the lower edges of the parts L M of the shell is formed a passage, Q, through which the ground fertilizer escapes from the feed-mill in uniform quantities, and in the upper side of the part L is formed an opening, It,with which is connected the lower end of a short spout, S, the upper end of which is connected with the bottom of the hopper T, to conduct the fertilizer from the said hopper to the feed-mill. The hopper T is secured to cross-bars of the top frame, E..

The rear end of the sliding frame H, that carries the gear-wheels G I, is pivoted to a lever, U, at a little distance from one end. The end of the long arm of the lever U ispivoted to a side bar of the lower frame, 0. To the end of the short arm of the lever Uis pivoted the rear end of the connectingbarV/[he forward end of which is pivoted to the lever \V, at alittle distance from its lower end. The lever XV, at its lower end, is pivoted to a side bar of the lower frame, C, and its upper part moves along a side bar of the upper frame, E, and is held in either position by a catch-plate, X, attached to the said side bar of the frame E. The upper part of the lever V is held in gear with the catch-plate X by a spring, Y, the rear end of which is attached to the side bar, along which the lever XV moves, and its forward part bears against the said lever.

To the lower sides of the parts L M of the feed-mill shell is attached the upper end of the boot Z, through which the seed falls to the ground, and upon the lower part of which is placed the foot a, by which the soil is opened to receive the seed. The foot a slides up and down upon the boot Z, and is adjusted and held in place by a screw, I), which is swiveled to a lug, 0, attached to the rear side of the said boot Z, and passes through a screw-hole in a lug, (I, attached to the rear side of the foot a, and forming a stationary nut. itli this construction, by operating the screw b the foot a can be adjusted to work at any desired depth in the soil.

The seed is covered by a harrow, c, which is represented in the drawings as being V-shaped, but which may be made square or of other desired shape.

To the front and rear parts of each side of the harrow e are hinged the lower ends of a bent rod,f, the bight of which is hinged to the rear part of a side bar of the lower frame, 0, so that the said harrow will be drawn by the said rods, and at the same time will be free to move up and down to conform to the uneven surface of the soil and when being raised from and lowered to the ground.

To the middle partof the harrow e is hinged the lower end of a rod, 9, the upper end of which is hinged to the end of the rear arm of the elbow-1ever h. The elbow-lever his hinged at its angle to a support attached to the rear crossbar of the lower frame, 0, and to the end of its upper arm is hinged the rear end of the connecting-rod 17. The forward end of the rod 1' is hinged to the lower end of the lever j, which is fulerumed at its middle part to a bracket or hanger, 7;, attached to theforward part of a side bar of the upper frame, E. To the upper end of the leverj is 'hinged the forward end of the connecting-rod Z, the rear end of which is pivoted to the lever W. By this construction, as the lever W is operated to throw the driving mechanism into and out of gear the harrow 6 will be lowered to and raised from the ground, so that the said harrow will not operate when no fertilizer is being distributed, and the machine can be readily turned around and drawn from place to place without wasting the fertilizer or being inconvenienced by the said harrow. The lever W or the rod Z is slotted to receive the pivoting-bolt, so that the harrow 0, by adjusting the rod Z, can be adjusted to work at any desired depth in the soil.

\Vhen the machine is to be used for planting cotton seed, the feed-mill L M O is detached and replaced by the seed-dropping cylinder m and its inclosing-shell n 0.

The shell on 0 is made in two parts, bolted to each other and secured to the lower frame, 0. The inner sides of the parts at o are recessed to receive and fit upon the cylinder m, placed upon and secured to the shaft K, which re volves in hearings in the partsn 0 of theshell. To the other end of the shaft K is attached or upon it is formed a short crank, 17, to which is pivoted the lower end of a connecting-rod, q. The upper end of the connecting-rod q is pivoted to the crank r, formed upon or attached to the end of the shaft 8, which rocks in bearings in the sides of the spout it, connected at its upper end with the bottom of the hopper T. To the shaft 8, within the spout t, are attached radial arms 2, to serve as a stirrer to feed the seed down through the said spout to the seed-dropping cylinder m. The lower end of the spent '15 is connected with an aperture, a, formed by recessing the adjacent sides of the tops of the parts a o of the seed-cylinder shell. The seed escapes through an aperture, 1;, formed by reeessing the adjacent sides of the bottoms of the parts a 0 of the shell, andpasses through the boot Z and foot or to the ground.

In the face of the seed-dropping cylinder in. is formed an annular groove, 10, which is divided into spaces by division-plates w. The plates :10 are of such a height that their outer edges will move along the shoulders of the re cesses in which the said cylinder is placed, so as to separate the cotton-seed and drop them to the ground as each section comes opposite the discharge-aperture '0.

hen the machine is to be used for dropping seed other than cotton-seed, parts of the groove 10 are filled up, and the open sections are made of such a size that each will contain enough seed for a hill. In this case the large gear-wheel I is secured to the shaft K, and the small gear-wheel J is secured to the journal of the small gear-wheel Gr, so that the seeddropping cylinder m will be revolved through only one revolution by each revolution of the drive-wheel A.

g are the seatstandards, the lower ends of which are secured to the bars of the upper frame, E, and their upper ends nearly meet a little in front of the forward edge of the hopper T, and are attached to the lower side T, and is hinged at its forward edge to the forward edge of the said plank 2, so that the weight of the driver will be brought as near as possible over the axles of the machine, and so that the said seat can be turned over forward when it is desired to detach the said hopper. Having thus described myinvention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with the wheels and short axles A B and the frame 0 D E, of the feed-mill L M O and the gear-wheels F G I J, interposed between the said mill and axle, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby the fertilizer will 'be pulverized and discharged in uniform quantities, as set forth. 2. The combination, with the frame 0 D E and the journals of the gear-wheels G I, of the sliding frame H, the levers U NV, and the connecting-bar V, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby the said gear-wheels can be readily thrown into and out of gear, as set forth. 7 V

3. The combination, with the frame 0 D E and the harrow e, of the bent rods f, hinged at their angles to the frame and having their ends hinged to the front and rear parts of the said harrow. the elbow-lever h, the rod 9, pivoted to one arm of the elbow-lever and to the harrow, the lever j, pivoted at about the center of its length to the forward part of the frame, the rod t, pivoted to the lower end of the lever j and one arm of the elbow-lever h, the lever NV, and the rod Z, pivoted to the upper end of the lever j and to the lever W, substantially as herein shown and described.

4. The combination, with the boot Z, of the sliding foot a, the swiveled screw b, and the stationary nut d, substantially as hereln shown and described, whereby the said foot can be readily adjusted to work at a greater or a less depth in the soil, as set forth. i

5. The combination, with a supportingframe, short axles, drive-wheels, a shaft j ournaled in bearings on the frame, a feed-whe el thereon, and a casing surrounding the sand feed-wheel, ofthe gear-wheels F G I J for operating the shaft of the feed-wheel from oneof the said axles, substantially as herein shown and described.

DECATUR MORGAN.

Witnesses:

ISAAC M. FORBES,

ERASTUS I. SAWYER. 

